Mobile POS (mPOS) technology has ushered in nothing short of a revolution in point of sale.
Across retail, hospitality and leisure, untethering POS from fixed position terminals has allowed businesses to become more flexible in how they meet their customers’ needs. With mPOS, waiting staff in restaurants can input orders and process payments right there at the table. In retail, sales clerks can use it to speed up long lines at checkout and take assistance right to the customer.
Two things sit right at the core of mPOS technology – wireless technology and mobile handheld devices, usually tablets. With cloud-based POS software becoming widely available, this has led some vendors to claim that mPOS even means you no longer need specialised hardware to run a POS system – you can simply load apps onto a standard iPad, Galaxy Tab or other mobile device.
However, there are good reasons why choosing purpose-built, dedicated mPOS tablets instead of standard consumer equivalents makes better sense for your staff, your customers and ultimately your business.
Purpose-Built mPOS Tablets Are Tough
In a busy business environment, POS end points are going to be used all day, every day. Some wear and tear is inevitable – the odd drop or knock, maybe a drink being spilt on it in a restaurant or bar. How confident are you that the kind of tablets you worry about your kids destroying can stand up to this kind of heavy use?
Dedicated mPOS tablets like the TMC7200 are built with durability in mind, because we know the workplace can be tough on all equipment. Ultimately, the longer your mPOS tablet lasts, the better the return on your investment.
Dedicated mPOS Tablets Can Be Customised to Your Needs
One thing that is not always made immediately obvious about using a standard tablet as a POS end point is the fact that there’s no in-built solution for taking payments. Card readers have to be added as external accessories. Most NFC (contactless) and chip and pin reader extensions connect via Bluetooth, but this is another device that has to be carried around with the tablet – easily left behind somewhere in busy environments.
Purpose-built mPOS solutions like the TMC7200 feature multiple module bays so you can clip on whatever accessories suit your business best – card readers and barcode scanners etc. Once added, they function as an integrated part of the tablet, carried with it wherever your people need to go. Not only does this expand what a purpose-built mPOS tablet can do compared to a standard model, it means you can customize its functionality to suit your needs.
AURES Mobile POS Tablets Come With Dedicated Support
Finally, if you’re running a cloud-based POS system over a bunch of iPads and you get an issue with one or more devices, who is going to take care of that for you? Your POS technical support will extend to software issues only. If one of the tablets is damaged or stops functioning properly, you will have to go through the standard manufacturer’s warranty and repair protocols. Are you going to get your devices up and running as fast as you need to ensure the problem doesn’t start costing your business money? Probably not. But by sourcing dedicated mobile POS hardware from a respected supplier like AURES, you get our premium support services as part of the deal.